Ten-key adding machine fo r non-uniform



Apnl 9, 1963 T. GASSINO 3,084,855

TEN-KEY ADDING MACHINE FOR NON-UNIFORM DECIMAL DENOMINATIONS Filed April 3, 1962 INVENTOR TERESIO GASSINO ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,034,855 TEN-KEY ADDING MACHINE FOR NON- UNIFGRM DEQIMAL DENOMINATIONS Teresio Gassino, Ivrea, Italy, assignor to Ing. C. Olivetti & C., S.p.A., Ivrea, Italy, a corporation of Italy Filed Apr. 3, 1962, Ser. No. 184,727 Claims priority, application Italy Apr. 11, 1961 9 Claims. (Cl. 235-60) The present invention relates to ten-key adding machines for non-uniform decimal denominations, comprising a multidenominational indexing mechanism whose denominations are settable by said keys, an accumulating mechanism adapted to cooperate with said indexing mechanism and having a plurality of decimal members and a number of lower non-decimal members, transverse traveling means controlled by said keys for stepwise shifting the cooperative relationship of said indexing mechanism and said accumulating mechanism, a manipulative member settable for conditioning the machine to accumulate decimal denominations only, and a main operating mechanism.

In the known machines said manipulative mem'ber controls a skipping device operable for causing said traveling means to additionally travel through a number of steps corresponding to the number of non-decimal members for skipping said non-decimal members. However, this travel is caused invariably at each machine cycle when the machine has been set for decimal accumulation, even if no denomination has been set, whereby this traveling means is subject to superfluous movements and thus to a major wear.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an adding machine obviating the above disadvantage.

Another object is to provide a skipping device which is simple in its operation and inexpensive to manufacture.

A further object is to provide a skipping device adapted to be operated the strictly necessary minimum number of times.

According to the invention, in an adding machine of the above type, I now provide a skipping device controlled by the above stated manipulative member and operable for causing the traveling means to additionally travel through a number of steps corresponding to the number of non-decimal members for skipping said non-decimal members, and means driven by the main operating mechanism and conditionable by the traveling means when one denomination at least has been set for operating said device.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, which shows a perspective partial forward view of a ten-key adding machine for the British currency system provided with a skipping device according to the invention. 7

Referring now to the drawing, the adding machine comprises a multidenominational indexing mechanism 1 whose denominations are settable by the keys of a conventional ten-key keyboard of which one numeral key only is shown. The machine is further provided with an accumulating mechanism generically indicated by the numeral 2, and with traveling means controlled by the key 5 for stepwise shifting the cooperative relationship of said indexing mechanism and said accumulating mechanism.

More particularly, in the present embodiment the indexing mechanism 1 is formed of a conventional pin carriage provided with individually settable stop pins arranged in rows and columns, each column corresponding 3,984,855 Patented Apr. 9, 1963 to one denomination. The stop pins of each column comprises apart from the usual numeral stop pins, not shown, a vertical pair of pins 3, 4, namely a zero pin 3 and an escapement pin 4. The pin carriage 1 is provided itself with suitably traveling means such as lugs 67 slidably mounted on a transverse shaft 68 and is urged by a spring 10 to abut by means of the escapement pin 4 of the first denomination to be set against an escapement dog 6.

The accumulating mechanism 2 has a plurality of decimal members or actuators 7 for accumulating the decimal denominations of an amount, such as the whole pounds, and a number of lower order non-decimal members or actuators 8, 9 and 11 for accumulating the non-decimal denominations of an amount, namely: two actuators 8 for accumulating the shillings, the actuator 9 for accumulating the pence and the actuator 11 for accumulating the fractions of a penny.

Upon depression of the numeral key 5 a corresponding numeral stop pin and the escapement pin 4 of the first left hand denomination of the pin carriage 1 are set in a manner known per se, whereby the spring 10 is enabled to move the pin carriage one step towards the left until the escapement pin 4 of the next following denomination abuts against the dog 6. In this manner the first left hand denomination of the pin carriage 1 is enabled to cooperate with the actuator 11.

Furthermore the adding machine is provided with a main operating mechanism comprising a reciprocable handle 12 secured to a shaft 13 and a plate 14 secured to the shaft 13 as well. Finally the adding machine is provided with a manipulative member or lever 61 settable in a first position, shown by solid lines in the drawing, for conditioning the machine to accumulate decimal denominations only and in a second position, shown by broken lines, for conditioning the machine to accumulate non-uniform decimal denominations.

The lever 61 is provided with a pair of shoulders 59, 63 adapted to alternately cooperate by the urge of a spring 58 with a notch of a lever 57 in order to hold the lever 61 in its first or second position, respectively. A bent lug 56 of the lever 57 engages a slot '54 of a skipping device comprising a plate 49. The plate 49 is provided with two bent lugs 51 and 52 separated by a notch 53, and with a pair of projections 48 each one engaging a slot 47 formed on an arm 46 of a bail 43' pivoted on a stationary shaft 44 and urged clockwise by a spring 64. The plate 49 is transversely slidable with respect to the bail 43.

When the lever 61 is set in its first position, shown by solid lines, the plate 49 locates the lug 51 in front of the first two adjacent pair of pins 3, 4, the lug 52 in front of the successive two adjacent pairs of pins 3, 4, and the notch 53 in front of the gap between said first two pairs and said successive two pairs.

Secured to the bail 43 is a pin 42 gaged by an edge 41 of a member or lever 18 rockably and slidably mounted on the shaft 13 and sensing the transverse position of the pin carriage 1. More particu larly, the lever .18 is normally urged by a spring 19 both leftwards and clockwise to abut by means of a projection 21 against a flank 22 of the pin carriage 1 and by means of a bent lug 17 against a pin 16 secured to the plate 14. In the normal position of the pin carriage 1 the edge 41 of the lever 18 is thus located in a vertical plane not interfering with a pin 42 of the bail 43, whereby the lever 18 is normally disengaged from the plate 49. The lever v18 is provided with a latch element formed of an edge :66, which is adapted to cooperate with the pin 42 as will be hereinafter described.

It has been stated above that the actuator adapted to be en- 11 is provided for a fractional denomination, namely for the quarters of a penny. A set of keys 31, 32, 33 are provided for setting-up a significant fraction value only, whereas if the value of the fractional denomination is zero no key need to be depressed. The fractional keys 31, 32 and 33 when depressed are adapted to set an escapement pin 4 in a manner known per se. Furthermore, said keys 31, 32, 33 will engage a projection 34 of a corresponding lever 35 pivoted on a stationary shaft 36 to rock said lever clockwise and move the projection 34 into the path of a corresponding projection 37 of a cyclically reciprocated control member or slide 30. The lever 35 is retained in the rocked position by a spring 40 which urges a shoulder 38 against a locking plate r39. The'lever 35 will be released at the end of the machine cycle in a known manner.

The slide 30 is connected to a lever 25 pivoted at 26 and provided with a projection 2-7 normally urged by a spring 28 to contact a projection 29 of the plate 14. Another projection 24 of the lever 25 is adapted to be sensed by a projection 23 of the lever 18.

The machine operates as follows:

When the handle 12 is rocked counterclockwise the pin 16 of the plate 14 will rock thelever 18 counterclockwise. lf prior to this machine cycle'no denomination has been set in the pin carriage 1, the edge 41 moves idly past the pin 42 without operating the bail 43 and the plate 49.

On the contrary, if a numeral key 5 has been depressed and thus one denomination at least has been set in the pin carriage 1 thetlank 22 has released the projection 21 of the lever 18 which, however, is temporarily arrested by the projection 24 of the lever 25.

Assuming now that the lever 61 has been set in its first position, shown by solid lines, to condition the machine for accumulating decimal denominations only, the notch'53 of the plate 49 is located in front of the gap between the first two pairs and the successive two pairs of pins 3, 4. Obviously, no fraction key 31, 32, 33 will be depressed in this case.

When the handle 12 is rocked counterclockwise, at the beginning of the machine cycle the projection 29 releases the lever 25. Since no fractional key has been depressed, the slide 30 is allowed to move forward-and the lever 25 is rocked counterclockwise by the spring 28. The projection24 is thus moved forwards and releases the projection 23 ofthe lever 18. The spring 19 now shifts the lever 18 transversely until arrested by a hub "62 secured-to the shaft 13. The edge 41 is thus placed behind the pin 42. The lever 18 upon being rocked now engages by means of'its edge 41 thepin 42 and rocks the bail 43 counterclockwise. The bail 43 moves the plate 49 rearwards thus causing the lugs 51 and 52 to set four pairs of pins 3, 4, whereby the spring may shift the carriage 1 leftwards until the first non-set escapement pin 4 is arrested by the dog 6. The carriage 1 is thus advanced four steps, causing the four non-decimal actuators 8, 9 and 11 to be skipped: moreover, the four zero pins 3 so set will now arrest the four non-decimal actuators 8, 9 and 11 which will thus become ineffective. It will thus be apparent that the plate 49 is operable for causing thetraveling means to travel, additionally to the travel made when depressing the numeral key 5, through a number of steps corresponding to the number of non-decimal actuators 8, 9 and 11 for skipping said actuators. Moreover, it will be apparent that the lever 18 is driven by the main operating machanism and is conditionable by the traveling means when at least one denomination has been set for operating the plate 49.

Near the end of the counterclockwise stroke of the handle 12, the edge 41 of the lever 18 passes beyond the pin 42 thus releasing the bail 43 which is immediately restored by the spring 64, while the lever 18 is kept rocked by the pin 16. At the beginning of the return stroke of the handle 12 the pin 16 releases the lug 17. The lever 18 is now urged by the spring 19 to rock clockwise, but its edge 66 is arrested by the front portion of the pin 42 and the lever 18 is latched in its rocked position.

At the end of the return stroke of the handle 12 the pin carriage 1 is restored rightwards in a manner known per se. The right flank 22 of the pin carriage now engages the projection 21 of the lever 18 which is thus shifted back to the right, whereby the edge 66 is disengaged from the pin 42. The lever 18 is thus unlatched and is rocked back to its normal position by the spring 19.

It will thus be understood that in a sequence of repeat cycles, since as is well known in the art the carriage is not restored at the end of each cycle of the sequence, the lever '18 is held latched in its rocked position in front ofthe pin 42, whereby the plate 49' is operated and the pin carriage 1 is shifted accordingly during the first cycle only of the sequence.

Assuming now that the lever 61 is rocked counterclock-- wise to its second position, shown by broken lines, to condition the machine for accumulating non-uniform; decimal denominations, the shoulder 59 releases the lever 57 which is rocked counterclockwise by its spring 5'8 until arrested by the shoulder 63. The lever 57 thusmoves the plate 49 leftwards half a step of the pin carriage 1 and locates the lug 51 in front of the first pair of pins 3, 4 to be set, the notch 53 in front of the second pair of pins 3, 4 and the lug 52 in front of the third pair of pins 3, 4.

In this case, if at least one denomination has been set in the pin carriage and no fraction key 31, 32 or 33 has been depressed, when the handle 12 is operated the lever 25 is rocked counterclockwise and the projection 24 releases the lever 18 as in the preceding case. The lever 18 now rocks the bail 43 whereby the lugs 51 and 52 of the plate 49' will set the first and third pairs of pins 3, 4. Since the second pair of pins 3, 4 is not set, the pin carriage l1 is now shifted leftwards one step until the escapernent pin 4 of the second pair is arrested by the dog 6. Thus the third pair of pins 3, 4 will have no effect on the accumulating mechanism 2.

On the contrary, if any fractional key 31, 32 or 33 has been depressed, the projection 34 of the corresponding lever 35 has been placed into the path of the corresponding projection 37 of the slide 30. When the handle 12 is operated, the slide 38 is now arrested by the projection. 34 and the projection 24 of the lever 25 does not release the projection 23 of the lever 18. When the pin 16 rocks the lever v18 the edge 41 moves idly past the pin 42 without operating the bail 43 and the plate 49. Thereupon the projection 23 of the lever 18 leaves the projection 24, the lever 18 is shifted leftwards without affecting the bail 43 and is thereupon restored as in the above described cases.

It is thus clear that the lever 18 engages the pin 42 and operates the plate 4-? when both the .pin carriage 1 has advanced through its first step at least and no fractional key has been depressed.

It is intended that many changes, additions of parts and improvements may be made to the above described machine Without departing from the scope thereof.

What I claim is: 1. In a ten-key adding machine for non-uniform decicirnal denominations, comprising a maid-denominational indexing mechanism whose denominations are settable by said keys, an accumulating mechanism adapted to cooperate with said indexing mechanism and having a plurality of decimal members and a number of lower order non-decimal members, transverse traveling means for shifting the cooperative relationship of said indexing mechanism and said accumulating mechanism, escapetment means operable by said keys for controlling the stepwise travel of said traveling means, a manipulative member settable for conditioning the machine to accumulate decimal denominations only, and a main operating mechanism, the combination comprising:

(a) a skipping device controlled by said manipulative member and operable for causing said traveling means to additionally travel through a number of steps corresponding to the number of non-decimal members for skipping said non-decimal members,

(1)) and means driven by said main operating mechanism and conditionable by said traveling means for operating said device when said traveling means have traveled at least one step.

2. In a ten-key adding machine for non-uniform decimal denominations, comprising a multi-denominational indexing mechanism whose denominations are settable by said keys, an accumulating mechanism adapted to cooperate with said indexing mechanism and having a plurality of decimal members and a number of lower order non-decimal members, transverse traveling means for shifting the cooperative relationship of said indexing mechanism and said accumulating mechanism, escapement means operable by said keys for controlling the stepwise travel of said traveling means, and a manipulative member settable for conditioning the machine to accumulate decimal denominations only, the combination comprising:

(a) a skipping device controlled by said manipulative member and operable for causing said traveling means to additionally travel through a number of steps corresponding to the number of non-decimal members for skipping said non-decimal members,

(b) and a member adapted to sense the transverse position of said traveling means for operating said device when said traveling means have traveled at least one step.

3. In a ten-key adding machine for non-uniform decimal denominations, comprising a multi-dcnorninational indexing mechanism Whose denominations are settable by said keys, an accumulating mechanism adapted to cooperate with said indexing mechanism and having a plurality of decimal members and a number of lower order non-decimal members, transverse traveling means for shifting the cooperative relationship of said indexing mechanism and said accumulating mechanism, escapement means operable by said keys for controlling the stepwise travel of said traveling means, a manipulative member settable for conditioning the machine to accumulate decimal denominations only, anda main operating mechanism, the combination comprising:

(a) a skipping device controlled by said manipulative member and operable for causing said traveling means to additionally travel through a number of steps corresponding to the number of non-decimal members for skipping said non-decimal members.

(b) and a member adapted to effect two successive movements for operating said device, the first movement being caused by said traveling means upon having traveled one step, the second movement being cyclically caused by said main operating mechanism.

4. In a ten-key adding machine for non-uniform decimal denominations, comprising a multi-denominational indexing mechanism Whose denominations are settable by said keys, an accumulating mechanism adapted to cooperate with said indexing mechanism and having a plurality of decimal members and a number of lower order non-decimal members, transverse traveling means for shifting the cooperative relationship of said indexing mechanism and said accumulating mechanism, escapement means operable by said keys for controlling the stepwise travel of said traveling means, a manipulative member settable for conditioning the machine to accumulate decimal denominations only, and a main operating mechanism, the combination comprising:

(a) a skipping device controlled by said manipulative member and operable for causing said traveling means to additionally travel through a number of steps corresponding to the number of non-decimal members for skipping said non-decimal members,

(b) a lever shittably and rockably mounted on the machine, said lever being normally disengaged from said device,

(0) a spring adapted to shift said lever for engaging said device when said traveling means have traveled at least one step,

(d) and a portion on said main operating mechanism adapted to rock cyclically said lever for operating said device so engaged.

5. In a ten-key adding machine for non-uniform decimal denominations, comprising a multi-denominational indexing mechanism whose denominations are settable by said keys, an accumulating mechanism adapted to cooperate with said indexing mechanism and having a plurality of decimal members and a number of lower order non-decimal members, transverse traveling means for shifting the cooperative relationship of said indexing mechanism and said accumulating mechanism, escapement means operable by said keys for controlling the stepwise travel of said traveling means, a manipulative member settable for conditioning the machine to accumulate decimal denominations only, and a main operating mechanism, the combination comprising:

(a) a skipping device controlled by said manipulative member and operable for causing said traveling means to additionally travel through a number of steps corresponding to the number of non-decimal members for skipping said non-decimal members,

(b) a lever shiftably and rockably mounted on the machine, said lever being normally disengaged from said element,

(c) a spring adapted to shift said lever for engaging said device when said traveling means have traveled at least one step and to rockably restore said lever,

(d) a portion on said main operating mechanism adapted to rock cyclically said lever for operating said device so engaged,

(e) and a latching element for latching said lever upon being so rocked against the restoring action of said spring, said lever being released by said latching element upon being shiftably restored by said traveling means when restored.

6. In a ten-key adding machine for non-uniform decimal denominations, comprising a transversely spring urged pin carriage whose denominations are settable by said keys, said carriage comprising a row of pairs of escapement and zero pins, an escapement dog cooperating with said escapement pins for enabling said carriage to transversely travel one step when each escapement pin is set, an accumulating mechanism adapted to cooperate with said carriage and having a plurality of decimal members and a number of lower order non-decimal members, a manipulative member settable for conditioning the ma chine to accumulate decimal denominations only, and a main operating mechanism, the combination comprising:

(a) a plate controlled by said manipulative member and operable for setting a number of pairs of said escapement and zero pins to enable said carriage to additionally travel through a number of steps corresponding to the number of non-decimal members for skipping said non-decimal members.

(b) a lever shiftably and rockably mounted on the machine, said lever being normally disengaged from said plate,

(0) a spring normally urging said lever to abut transversely against said carriage and adapted to shift said lever for engaging said plate when said carriage has traveled at least one step,

(d) and a portion on said operating mechanism adapted to rock cyclically said lever for operating said plate so engaged.

7. In a ten-key adding machine for non-uniform deci mal denominations, comprisng a mold-denominational indexing mechanism whose denominations are settable by said keys, an accumulating mechanism adapted to cooperate with said indexing mechanism and having a plurality of decimal members and a number of lower order non-decimal members, transverse traveling means con trolled by said keys for stepwise shifting the cooperative relationship of said indexing mechanism and said accumulating mechanism, one of said non-decimal members being provided for a fractional denomination manually settable if its value is not Zero, a manipulative member movable between two positions for conditioning the machine to accumulate either decimal denominations only or non-uniform decimal denominations, and a main operating mechanism, the combination comprising:

(a) a skipping device controlled by said manipulative member and operable for causing said traveling means to additionally travel through a number of steps corresponding to the number of said traveling means to additionally travel through a number of steps corresponding to the number of said non-decimal members when said manipulative member conditions the machine to accumulate decimal denominations only and for causing said traveling means to additionally travel one step when said manipulative member conditions the machine to accumulate non-uniform decimal denominations,

(b) a lever shiftably and rockably mounted on the machine, said lever being normally disengaged from said device and being shifted for engaging said device when both said traveling means have traveled through the first step and no fraction has been set- (c) and a portion on said operating mechanism adapted to rock cyclically said lever for operating said device so engaged.

8. In a ten-key adding machine for non-uniform decimal denominations, comprising a multidenominational indexing mechanism whose denominations are settable by said keys, an accumulating mechanism adapted to cooperate with said indexing mechanism and having a plurality of decimal members and a number of lower order nondecimal members, transversely traveling means controlled by said keys for stepwise shifting the cooperative relationship of said indexing mechanism and said accumulating mechanism, one of said non-decimal members being provided for a fractional denomination manually settable if its value is not zero, a manipulative member settable in a first position for conditioning the machine to accumulate decimal denominations only and in a second position for conditioning the machine to accumulate non-uniform decimal denominations, the combination comprising:

(a)a skipping device controlled by said manipulative member and operable for causing said traveling means to additionally travel through a number of steps corresponding to the number of said non-decimal members when said manipulative member is set in said first position and for causing said traveling means to additionally travel one step when said manipulative member is set in said second position,

(b) a cyclically movable control member adapted to be arrested upon setting the fractional denomination,

() a member adapted to simultaneously sense said traveling means and said control member for engaging said device when said traveling means have i traveled through the first step and said control member is not arrested,

(d) and a portion on said operating mechanism for cyclically causing said sensing member to operate said device so engaged.

9. In a ten-key adding machine for non-uniform decimal denominations, comprising a transversely spring urged pin carriage Whose denominations are settable by said keys, said carriage comprising a row of pairs of escapement and zero pins, an escapement dog cooperating with said escapement pins for enabling said carriage to transversely travel one step when each escapement pin is set, an accumulating mechanism adapted to cooperate with said carriage and having a plurality of decimal members and a number of lower order non-decimal members, one of said non-decimal members being provided for a fractional denomination manually settable if its value is not zero, a manipulative member settable in a first position for conditioning the machine to accumulate decimal denominations only and in a second position for c0nditioning the machine to accumulate non-unform decimal denominations, and a main operating mechanism, the combination comprising:

(a) a set of keys depressible for setting said fractional denomination,

(b) a plate operable for setting said escapement pins and zero pins,

(0) a notch on said plate,

(a!) means for connecting said plate to said manipulative member so that when said manipulative member is set in said first position said plate will be located in front of a number of pairs of escapement and zero pins corresponding to the number of said non-decimal members and said notch will be located in front of the gap between the second and third pair of escapernent and zero pins to be set, Whereas when said manipulative member is set in said second position said plate will be located with said notch in front of the second pair of escapement and zero pins to be set, whereby said second escapement pin will arrest the travel of Said carriage,

(e) a control member cyclically movable when no fraction key has been depressed,

(f) a lever shiftably and rockably mounted on the machine, said lever being normally disengaged from said plate,

(g) a spring normally urging said lever to abut transversely against said carriage and adapted to shift said lever for engaging said plate when both said carriage has traveled through its first step and said control member is so moved,

(h) and a portion on said operating mechanism adapted to rock cyclically said lever for operating said plate so engaged.

References ited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. IN A TEN-KEY ADDING MACHINE FOR NON-UNIFORM DECIMAL DENOMINATIONS, COMPRISING A MULTI-DENOMINATIONAL INDEXING MECHANISM WHOSE DENOMINATIONS ARE SETTABLE BY SAID KEYS, AN ACCUMULATING MECHANISM ADAPTED TO COOPERATE WITH SAID INDEXING MECHANISM AND HAVING A PLURALITY OF DECIMAL MEMBERS AND A NUMBER OF LOWER ORDER NON-DECIMAL MEMBERS, TRANSVERSE TRAVELING MEANS FOR SHIFTING THE COOPERATIVE RELATIONSHIP OF SAID INDEXING MECHANISM AND SAID ACCUMULATING MECHANISM, ESCAPEMENT MEANS OPERABLE BY SAID KEYS FOR CONTROLLING THE STEPWISE TRAVEL OF SAID TRAVELING MEANS, A MANIPULATIVE MEMBER SETTABLE FOR CONDITIONING THE MACHINE TO ACCUMULATE DECIMAL DENOMINATIONS ONLY, AND A MAIN OPERATING MECHANISM, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING: (A) A SKIPPING DEVICE CONTROLLED BY SAID MANIPULATIVE MEMBER AND OPERABLE FOR CAUSING SAID TRAVELING MEANS TO ADDITIONALLY TRAVEL THROUGH A NUMBER OF 